Shoe spring lace



Aug. 1o 1926. 1,595,630

R. F. STOCKTON SHOE SPRING LACE Filed Dec. 9. 1925 ,[72 veno'r Haj/mandi' Siae/don fforney.

Patented Aug. 10, 192,6.A

RAYMOND F. STOCKTON, OF BURBANK, CALIFORNIA.

SHOE SPRING LACE.

Application mea December 9, 1925. serial No. 74,912.

My invention is a shoe spring lace ana a shoe construction adapted to utilize such lace and in the manner of fastening the lace to the shoe.

An object of my invention is to provide a shoe spring lace which mav be attached to a shoe in the place of the ordinary lace and may simulate in parts such lace in appearance, the shoe spring lace` holding the shoe in firm position on the foot -as ify tight.-

ly laced, but allowing a certain resilience of movement; not allowable with the ineXtensible type of lace.

Myinvention also comprises a shoe construction adapted to allow use of a spring lace and also a construction which will allow the fitting of old shoes with my att-achment, whereby they may be utilized With my spring type of lace.

My invention also comprises the manner of attaching the lace to theshoe, this giving either a permanentor a detachable. fastening and also preferably a coveringlfor the lace with the tongue of the shoe.

consists of asmall coiled Wire `spring which is preferably covered by some suitable eX- tensible fabric, the ends of the spring having means to attach them to a 'shoe to opposite ysides of the upper at the usual split Afor lacing and covering the tongue. I construct the shoe with atlexible wire extend ing upwardly in the upper on each side of the lacing split and have eyelets through which the ends of the springv may extend to be engaged by the wire.

Another feature of -my invention comprises a tongue having a series of transverse openings so that thelace may extend` tl'irough such openings in the tongue.

My invention willv be more readily understood from the following description and drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe having my spring shoe lace.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the upper at the lacing split, snowing the type of lace and the manner of'attaching it to the shoe.

Fig. 3 is a section of the shoe on the line 3 3 of Figs. 1 or 2. l

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, showing the lace engaging the tongue.

Fig. 5 is a side view of one `ofthe individual laces.

My shoe spring laceconsidered generally Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of one of. the laces.

Fig. 7 -is 'a side view of a modified form of disconnectible two part lace.

Fig. 8 is a side view of another form of spring shoe lace. 60 Fig. 9 is a section of a shoe showing such lace engaging the ordinary eyelets of a shoe.

My shoe spring lace is designated gener- 'vally by the numeral 1 and is attached to the upper 2 of the shoe at each side ofthe lacing 65\ split 3, the shoe having a special lace engaging structure 4 incorporated therein and the lace having a special type of connection 5 lto the tongue it from View. If a fabric covering is utilized, it should be such as lto allow stretching and the fabric returfiing to its normal relation after contraction. of the spring.

My novel type'of shoe 'construction is indicated particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, in which the vwires 12 are fitted in pockets 13 on opposite sides of the lace split` in the upper, there being a stitching 14 at the top ot the shoe to close the pockets and stitching 1 5 at the lower end to prevent the wire workingdownwardly. Small eyelets 16 are formed in the leather of the upper, leading irto the pockets 13. These may be formed With metallic eyelets or the so-called invisible type, in which holes in the leather are mformed with thevmetal eyelets being if side or else in this construction the metal eyelets may be discarded.

The manner of attaching 'the spring -lace to the wir'es is by means of the eyes 10 on the ends of the springs engaging the wires 12, while these are being thrust into the pockets. The ends of the springs having the Veyes 10 'are thrust through the -eyelets 16 or through the openings in the leather and the Wires are passed through the eyes 10.

It will be understood that the spring laces will be suiicient in number and spaced in the upper in substantially the same manner as the present type. of cord or leather lacings.

'Ihe tongue fastening 5 is Constructed by forming openings 17 in the tongues, the material of the tongue being pressed outwardly as indicated at 18 so that the laces may have acentral section passing through the hole in the .lace as indicated by the numeral 19, the back part 20 of the lace extending behind the upper at each side of the lacing split.

Thus it will be seen that the spring laces retain the tongue in its proper position and preferably each lace is passed through the tongue, thereby forming a neat appearing as Wellv as usefuliconstructiori of the lace fastening to the tongue.

In the construction of Fig. 7, the lace is -ormed in two sections 21 and 22, each ofthese being internally of the same construction as in Figs. 5 and 6 and with one end forming an eye 10, the other end of the `spring of one lace section has an eye 23 and the other has a hook 24 adapted to engage therewith so that these hooks and eyes may be engaged to hold the lace lirmly connected anld the upper being tightly drawn in the sp it. and more sightly to have the hooks and eyes 23 and 24 behind the openings in the tongue.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I illustrate an adaptationA of my spring-shoe lace to be utilized with an ordinary shoe having eyelets. The lace has .a coiled spring 7 with l1ooksi25 at each end. The'sehooks are adapted to engage in the ordinary eyelets 26 of a shoe; the tongue of the shoe 27 in this case extend-- ing behind the upper and not over the lace as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be apparent that this construction of Figs. 8 and 9 could be utilized to engage thelacing hooks attached to the shoe as well as to engage the eyelets.

Although. `my invention vis of a simple construction, nevertheless the s ring shoe lace may be modified considerab diderent types ofshoes or to adapt it to various ornamental constructions. For instance, the spring could be made of a iiattened type instead of having as shown, circular helical coils. The type of fastening In this construction it is preferablyl ly to 'suit by the wirev12 as shown in Fig. 2, may be built into the shoe in the factory while the shoe is being made or a pocket may be made in the lining of old shoes by running stitches in the lining and inserting a Wire therein enclosing it in by a stitching similar to 14 at the top of the upper.

IIt will be obvious that other types-of fastening may be utilized as Well as the wire. Moreover, the tongue 6 may be engaged by the fastening in a different manner from that shown, this fastening being designed to keep the tongue in proper relation to the split portion of the upper. It will be apparent moreover, that such a form of tongue could be utilized with ordinary lacings and if it is desired to make a Water proof tongue for Water' proof boots the outer pressed portion 18 of the tongue which may be de ignated as straps could be sewn to the tongue, thereby holding thetongue in proper relation to the ordinary inextensble laces.

Such changes would be Within the spirit of my invention as set forth in the description, ydrawings and claims.

Having described my,inven-tion, what I claim is:

1. In a shoe lace, an upper having a split, a tongue positioned behind said split, there being transverse openings formed in the tongue, voutwardly pressed portions of the tongue at saidr openings, said portions eX- tending into the split, andspring lacings extending through the said openings, fitting in the outwardly pressed portions, said lacings being secured to opposite sides of the upper.

2. In a shoe lacing, a shoe upper having a split, flexible wires in the upper at each side of the split, said Wires bein secured in pockets, a tongue positioned be ind the split, there being transverse openings formed in the tongue with ,outwardly pressed portions, said portions into the split, spring lacings through the openings, and the outwardly pressed portions of the tongue, and being secured at their opposite ends to the flexible Wires in the upper.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name t'o this specification.

RAYMOND nsrooKToN.

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